Promises In Flames
by Alpacca Joe
Summary: Stacy's breathing came in quick, ragged gasps as she crouched over Daria's unconscious form. Chaos, shouting and the occasional explosion swirled around them as the fire claimed another gas tank and the destruction spread.


**Promises In Flames**

9/13/10

_should i stay here in the past_

Stacy's breathing came in quick, ragged gasps as she crouched over Daria's unconscious form. Chaos, shouting and the occasional explosion swirled around them as the fire claimed another gas tank and the destruction spread. A filthy hand reached out and stroked blood-matted hair back from a still face. She looked so different without her glasses.

A screaming maniac launched himself out of a column of smoke and flame from behind Stacy and, without pause to think she whipped the sword from her back and cut the man in two. He fell to either side of the girl and her ward with a look of mild surprise on his face, baseball bat still upraised.

_i wanna change it all  
to be sure we would last_

The most recent danger past, Stacy turned her attention back to Daria. The 'older' girl lay on the cracked asphalt in her usual outfit, now torn and bloodstained after a day of insanity. Even now, Daria clutched a smeared butterfly knife, a gift from Stacy, with her good right hand, left arm broken and tucked into a makeshift sling. She had fought at Stacy's side with the grim knowledge it would likely make no difference.

Still, she had fought. And now she was dying.

_maybe i can just stop time  
keep you here with me  
forever til we die_

Tears broke though Stacy's tight control; her hand cupped Daria's face and though she lacked the strength to open her eyes, Daria turned into the touch and managed a small smile.

_don't say we were never meant to be something_

A tattoo of machine gun fire cut into the intimate moment and Stacy again found herself cutting down rioters and law enforcement officials alike. Time seemed to flow around her so that she shot through the small crowd like a bullet and was back at the fallen's side in a moment. Harsh sobs shook her frame; dropping her sword, Stacy cradled Daria's head in her hands, lay the girl over her lap and held her as hell rose up all around.

_i'm just trying to figure  
out a good solution  
tensions rise and i get cold_

It was her own fault. She knew it, but could not face it until now. If she had not come here, these things would not be happening and she would not now be watching this girl die. Stacy wrapped her body around Daria's as an especially large explosion rocked the world and was terrified at the coolness of Daria's skin where it met her own.

_if i save the world i know  
i'll lose the girl._

"forget"

Stacy's eyes snapped open. It was barely a whisper, the voice so cracked the word was barely comprehensible.

"forget... me"

_leave a note to remind myself to keep my word  
but_

Daria swallowed convulsively, coughed and spat blood to the side, grimacing in pain. With each breath air whistled from the hole in her chest and a little less blood soaked her clothes.

"go"

Stacy shook her head, slowly at first but when Daria opened her eyes and barely managed to focus on the girl who held her, Stacy found her pigtails slapping her cheeks with enough force to leave welts. Tears were flung into the air around her and shimmered in the haze for a moment, then vanished like yesterday's dreams.

_promises are nothing when they're burning at both ends_

"I promised," Stacy sobbed as the flames crept nearer. The wrecked pickup they sheltered behind would go up soon enough; their time together could now be counted in minutes. Still, Stacy was unwilling to let go.

Daria shook her head and raised her right hand. With great effort, she managed to press the knife point into Stacy's abdomen.

_should i stay  
here in the past  
and erase myself from everything we've touched_

"go"

Stacy stared down at the broken girl in her arms, studied her for what felt like the last time. The auburn hair, matted with blood and sweat; oval face smeared with blood, ash and tears; leather jacket burnt, scuffed, torn and filthy; skirt in tatters and shirt stained a deeper, more vital red than when it had been new on the hanger. Only Daria's boots had survived relatively unscathed. The crystal at her throat caught the fitful light of the flames and glowed like a cat's eye.

Daria stared up at Stacy and her eyes were like steel.

"Go."

_if i save the girl i know ill lose the  
world._

It took every effort, but Stacy managed to swallow the sobs that threatened to break her and meet Daria's eye squarely. They took a moment just to look at each other, to memorize the features they would never have a chance to see again. Then Stacy leaned down and pressed her lips to Daria's, kissed the cool mouth that had given voice to so many sarcastic comments, dry quips and powerful poems in their short two week acquaintance. Daria's lips rose to meet hers and in those few seconds, their souls touched and bonded as one.

_a thousand paper cranes won't bring her back_

Fingers wound around the discarded katana's hilt and lifted it as Stacy rose from her knees. Her fashionable ankle boots held her as she gained her feet, tears tracking silver lines down her face and blood snaking muddy tendrils down the legs of her designer jeans. Daria lay still on the pavement in a shallow, congealing pool of blood as the sword was re-sheathed and Stacy reached into her denim jacket. She withdrew a single battered paper crane, the color of spring's first leaves. A fine tremble shook her fingers as she laid it on Daria's chest.

The sound of boot heels on asphalt was sharp, but soon swallowed by the explosion as the encroaching flames finally found her erstwhile sanctuary. Stacy did not look back as the town of Highland erupted into a funeral pyre and engulfed a fragile, shattered dream. As she walked she seemed to shimmer and soon, the empty space she had occupied a moment before was filled by debris and flame.

_a thousand paper cuts  
across my back.  
__

___Present Day_

Stacy stood at the front of Lawndale High with her friends, Sandi and Tiffany and waited with vague impatience for the bell to ring and signal that they were fashionably late enough to head into the school. Her attention was drawn to the curb as a dark blue car pulled up. A girl with long red hair stepped out and Stacy snapped into her roll.

"You look cool. What's your name?"

"Quinn Morgendorffer."

Stacy's heart froze. Morgendorffer? No, not possible. That had been...

Unseen by the vast majority, one of the car's back doors opened and a girl with auburn hair stepped onto the concrete. As she slipped her bag into place over one shoulder, the girl looked up and caught Stacy's eye. At first she seemed surprised, but a moment later her face lit in a smile.

_I've never had a friend_, fourteen-year-old Daria Morgendorffer had told Stacy when she popped up in Highland a year before.

_I'll be your friend_, Stacy had replied as they walked past the gas station on their way back from the stationary store. Daria folded a sheet of green paper as they walked. She looked up at the thirteen-year-old and smiled.

_Promise?_

Stacy took the proffered gift, an origami crane, and smiled.

_Promise._

The rest of the Fashion Club had walked off with the new girl, but Stacy was rooted to the spot. Daria walked up to her and reached into one of the wide pockets of her green jacket.

"Turns out," Daria commented off-hand, as though picking up the thread of an interrupted conversation. "You're not the only one with a secret."

The crane was almost identical to the one Daria had given Stacy when they met. As Stacy took it from the older girl's hand, one corner slit Daria's finger and a drop of blood fell to the pavement. By the time it hit the concrete, the wound was gone. The girls regarded each other as the late bell chimed its toneless warning, and each broke into a large, sunny smile.

_well maybe i  
can just rewind_

**End.**

Lyrics from Hiro Nakamura (demo) are (c) When Distance Fails, used with permission.


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